The Future of Mobile Games on iOS

Gaming on the iPhone and iPad has been the subject of debate for many years, and for the majority of true gamers, the iOS platform has never truly felt like home. But how has that changed in recent times, and what should we expect to see in the next few years?

In the past decade, mobile development has evolved at a rapid pace. It's something that is truly regarded as a milestone of the 2010s. Apple devices have strived to rise above the fierce competition and interestingly, "Games" has been the most popular and biggest App Store category for a few years now. At the turn of the decade, Apple is rapidly expanding its gaming offers, especially with the upcoming Apple Arcade release this fall. And, with the highly anticipated iPhone 11 launch, along with other new products in the company's lineup, it seems like Apple's mobile gaming offers could expand even further.

So how does the future look for gaming on iOS? Take a look at our predictions.

The Evolution of iOS Mobile Gaming

There are over one billion active iOS devices worldwide. With such an enormous user base, tablet and smartphone devices offer a massive variety of games. Other platforms, like the Nintendo Switch, have already proved that portable devices have come up to par with home game consoles. Today, gamers can take part in a fully immersive experience via their mobile devices. Anything from Fortnite, Zelda, PUBG, and a vast indie game market is just a tap away. And it's all due to superior processing power. Nowadays, the choices are nearly infinite across all game categories, with users having access to anything from fun online social games to gambling games like the best online blackjack for money.

What to Expect from the Apple Arcade

The release of the Apple Arcade subscription service in 2019 could mark a major turning point in iOS gaming. Critics have already praised the service as one of Apple's best ideas in recent years. In essence, it's a subscription service with a monthly fee, but since it's a gaming service, it's the first of its kind in history.

Around 100 game titles will be offered upon release. Plus, there will be no limit to how many games users will be able to play. One feature that struck most fans is the fact that the service will not show ads. This could give Apple the edge over Android. With almost any Android game, there are large amounts of in-game adverts that disrupt the experience. Additionally, in-app purchases will not be supported. That way, users will get a full game offer with only a monthly subscription fee. Since the Apple Music subscription is $10, it's likely that the Arcade could have the same price. Moreover, according to Apple, both offline and online play will be supported on any iOS device.

If the service comes with such a low price, Apple's user base could increase significantly. When compared to individual Windows games costing $50 and up, the Apple Arcade could become the next big thing. Sadly, the Arcade will lack blockbuster games like Call of Duty. However, that's not such a surprise since AAA games have never been the focus of Apple's offers. For now, it still seems that the company is still keeping its focus on casual games. Some of the announced titles on the Apple Arcade are Lego, Sonic, Beyond a Steel Sky, and many more. The developers that the company has hired are the masterminds behind Final Fantasy and SimCity, which surely sounds promising.

It's a relatively short wait until the new service launches. In essence, gamers will be able to see the results quite soon. Overall, the Apple Arcade appears to be an incredible new service at a potentially low cost. There seems to be a great game offer with a large potential for expansion. While it may not target fans of blockbuster games, it's safe to predict that it will surely gain a huge fan following.

New Trends?

Aside from the Apple Arcade, another thing that caught our attention was the new A13 processor of the iPhone 11 Pro, as well as iOS 13. The chip will significantly boost multi-core processing power. Plus, the phone's specs show that the battery will be much larger compared to previous models. While the specs are impressive, it's possible that they will make older models obsolete, especially with new apps and games developed for the iPhone 11. This could shape some of the upcoming trends regarding cell phone use and game quality.

Another thing worth keeping an eye on for the future is graphics. This could especially be true for Apple's games. With the lack of AAA games that require hyper-realistic graphics, it's possible that Apple will move further into the casual gaming market and look to gain massive success with a 2D game similar to Angry Birds. It goes to show that even though impressive graphics were once the latest trend, it's possible that it's no longer the case and that mobile games will come with 2D, 3D, and even retro graphics that will appeal to a variety of gamers.

Virtual Reality

Of course, when it comes to future trends, virtual and augmented reality is certainly among the most discussed. In March, Apple applied for a patent on a proprietary VR headset design, and the patent descriptions reveal some highly interesting features that could lead the gaming world into a new era. Some of those features are sensors for facial and eye movements, facial expressions, as well as hand gestures. The sensors will also record information regarding lighting and video. According to rumors, the set could be manufactured by 2020, and it's speculated that it could include a 16k resolution. Connected to an iPhone, the headset could truly revolutionize iOS gaming.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the upcoming Apple Arcade is surely the most exciting service we'll see in the world of mobile gaming for iOS. The gaming subscription is the first of its kind, and the concept behind it is truly genius, especially since the service can function on multiple platforms. The massive, 300,000 plus game catalog in the App Store, plus the offers in the Arcade, could take iOS gaming into an entirely new era. Additionally, rumors of the planned VR headset and some of our predictions regarding the future iOS gaming trends are truly giving us something to look forward to. Hopefully, the future is right around the corner, and fans will not have to wait long for a revolution in iOS gaming.